Clothespin



H. F. MADER CLOTHESPIN May 9, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 16, 1957 INVENTOR. HENRY E MADER w jwf ATTORNEYS May 9, 1961 H. F. MADER CLOTHESPIN Filed Jan. 16, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HEN/Q) F MADE/ 7 BY diw m ATTORNEYS United States PatentO CLOTHESPIN Henry F. Mader, 995 Maple Ave., Hartford, Conn. Filed Jan. 16, 1957, Ser. No. 634,509

1 Claim. (Cl. 24-137) 7 This invention relates to a clothespin of novel and improved construction.

It is an aim of this invention to provide a clothespin of the type adapted for storage on a clothesline when not in use which is provided with novel meansfor engaging and disengaging the clothespin with a piece of The handle portion 18 is formed with an aperture '26 extending therethrough and, as can be seen in Figs."-3

and 4, in which a finger of a user is receivable. Further in accordance with the invention, the. outer periphery of the handle portion adjacent the connecting member forms a bearing surface 28 extending generally in the same direction as the leg *16 and which is engageable with the thumb of a user, as can be seen in' Fig. 3,for a purpose which will be hereinafterdescribed.

In the use ofa clothespin constructed in accordance with the inventiomas can best be seen in Fig. 4, it is intended that the user carry one'or a plurality of clothespins on the index finger of one hand by inserting-the index finger'through the aperture 26 in the handle 18. The outer mostpin is then engageable with a piece of fabric lying over aclothesline with the fabric and line disposed intermediate the free end 30 of the leg portion and the oppositely facing portion of the outer periphery of the handle 18. As can be seen in Fig. 3, withthe clothespin in this position and the index finger extending through the aperture 26, the thumb of the user is engageable' with the bearing surface 28 on the, portion thereof adjacent the connecting member 20. Withthe end portion of the leg 16 engaged on one, side of the line and with the handle 18 substantially on the other side of the line, the index finger may be utilized tourge of parts which will be exemplifiedin the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a clothespin constructed in accordance with the invention engaged with a piece of fabric and the like on a clothesline;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a pair of clothespins of Fig. 1 illustrating their storage on a clothesline when not in use;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a method of engagement of the clothespin of Fig. 1 with a piece of fabric on a clothesline; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the novel means for carrying a plurality of clothespins constructed in accordance with the invention.

With reference to the drawings, a clothespin constructed in accordance with the invention is generally indicated at 10 in association with a clothesline -12 and a piece of fabric 14 or the like and is comprised of a leg portion 16, a handle portion 18 and a connecting member 20 integral with and resiliently connecting the handle 18 and leg 16. For reasons which will be hereinafter apparent, it is preferred that the clothespin be fabricated from a resilient material such as a plastic or synthetic rubber which is suitable for use in a die-casting operation.

The connecting member 20 forms an aperture 22 extending through the clothespin in which a clothesline, as can be seen in Fig. 2, is freely engageable for storage of the clothespin on the line when the clothespin is not in use. The leg portion 16 lies closely adacent the handle portion 18, and for a reason which will be hereinafter apparent, one end 30 of the leg portion 16, in accordance with the invention, extends substantially beyond the handle portion 18. The handle portion is formed with a recess as at 24 in its outer periphery which faces oppositely of a portion, as at 17, of the periphery of the leg portion 16. As most clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 3, the recess 24 along with the oppositely facing portion 17 of the leg 16 form gripping means to clampingly engage a piece of fabric 14 on a clothesline 12.

the handle portion 18 generally transversely of the line 12, to spread the leg 16 and handle portion 18, while the thumb may be utilized to move the pin downwardly relative to the line 12 to engage'the fabric and line between the recess 24 and oppositely. facing portion 17 of the leg 16 wherein the pin will securely engage the fabric on the line.

When it is desired to disengage the pin from the fabric and move the pin into a position as shown in Fig. 2 for storage on the line, the pin is again grasped as shown in Fig. 3 and inclined or tilted longitudinally of the line 12, whereby the line 12 will be moved relative to the clothespin to a position diagonally of the recess 24 resulting in a spreading of the leg portion 16 and the handle 18, while the thumb and index finger are used to exert a force on the bearing surface 28 downwardly that shown in Fig. 3 to move the pin relative to the line 12 tov the storing position shown'in Fig. 2. It is preferred that the clothespin when being disengaged from the fabric as described be also simultaneously moved longitudinally of the line 12 in order to move the clothespin off the end of the fabric in the same operation that the clamping engagement therewith is released.

When it is desired to remove a clothespin constructed in accordance with the invention from the line when it is in the storage position shown in Fig. 2, the pin is grasped as shown in Fig. 3, but with the thumb preferably slightly displaced along the bearing surface 28 away from the connecting member 20 and with the second finger of the hand engaging the free end 30 of the leg '16 intermediate the leg 16 and handle 18. With the clothespin grasped in this manner the second finger of the hand may be utilized to urge the leg 16 away from the handle 18 while the thumb and index finger are used to move the clothespin upwardly of the line to remove it therefrom. As should be apparent from Fig. 4, a plurality of pins may be removed from the line in this manner and carried by the user temporarily on the index finger'for subsequent engagement with a piece of fabric as heretofore described.

From the above it can be seen that there has been provided a clothespin having means for temporarily supporting the clothespin or a plurality of the clothespins on the index finger of the user, and further providing a novel and improved means for engaging the clothespin Patented May 9, 196 1 p with a piece of fabric on the clothesline, and also for disengagim the clothespin from the line. The. configuration of the clothespin lends itself to fabrication by diecasting and as can be seen from the drawings the leg 16, handle 18, and connecting member 20 are each provided with a generally rectangular cross section to assure the utmost in simplicity and economy in the die. design and construction. The clothespin'is exceedingly simple to fabricate and provides an extremely inexpensive article which will provide satisfactory retention over long periods of use.

As many changes could be made in the above con struction and many apparently widely different embodiments ofthis invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that-the language used in the following claim is intended to cover all of the generio and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might'be said to fall therebetween.

I claim:

An integrally formed clothespin of plastic-like inherently resilient material comprising a handle portion, an elongated leg portion extending substantially beyond the handle portion and spaced therefrom a distance less than the diameter of a clothesline which the clothespin is adapted to engage, and an arch-like portion therebetween, said several portions lying in a common plane, said handle portion being formed with an index finger receiving aperture extending therethrough and with a curvilinear recess opposite said leg portion and adjacent to said finger receiving aperture for engagement of a clothesline in cooperation with the leg portion, the outer periphery of said handle portion adjacent the arch-like portion providing a contoured thumb-contacting portion, said archlike portion providing a second aperture of greater width than the clothesline which the clothespin is adapted to engage and communicating with a channel formed between the leg and handle portions, said leg portion being reversely curved adjacent the arch-like portion, whereby the clothespin may be gripped between the thumb and index finger of a users hand with the index finger extended through said first-mentioned aperture and with the thumb engaging the thumb contacting portion thereof and extending toward said arch-like portion, the leg portion having a free end extending downwardly and outwardly of said recessed portion in a position to be sprung outwardly thereof by a users second finger to spread the leg and handle portions for removal of the clothespin from a clothesline.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 225,652 Simonds Mar. 16, 1880 1,340,745 Watson May 18, 1920 1,868,726 Collier July 26, 1932 2,107,516 Bishop Feb. 8, 1938 2,675,593 Okell Apr. 20, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 986 Great Britain Jan. 14, 1910 16,178 Great Britain July 22, 1903 644,758 Great Britain Oct. 18, 1950 OTHER REFERENCES Popular Mechanics, Dec. 1956, page 143. 

